Harem

... The next thing that happened began slowly. It was one of those things you don't understand has begun until its about over. Ami had been at the house over a year by this time. Ami and Persephone had begun boxing again as soon as Ami's gut was up to it. They became bored after a few months. Ami learned fast and with only each other to spar against they came to know each other's moves well. They took up kick boxing to add variety. Jason had an area outside the house (to the back) cleared off for them and put their kick boxing equipment there.

... The yard between the house and the property wall had been designed to go "wild" and not require care beyond an automatic watering system. The girls did all of the garden and house work. About the end of the year they'd reached the limit on kickboxing and added Tia Kwan Doe.

... Tie Kwan Doe was more of a demonstration sport. It did not require sparing, although that was part of it later on. First though you had to learn the forms, a sequence of moves against an imaginary opponent. Of course their trainer was on video and the author of books. They still spared at least once a week to keep up their edge. Frank had taken to watching them spar. Ami figured it was to stay familiar with their moves should they ever try them on David or him.

... Brittanie had been acting weird (What was new?) for the last week or so before their monthly visit to Mark's Tattoo, Puncture and Pluck. For the first time ever Brittanie insisted on being done. Evidently she had some leg hairs, a few pubic hairs, etc. (Had to keep herself baby smooth.)

... While Ami hated the place and Mark and his wife made her particularly uneasy, since she'd been muff diving she'd appreciated the effect of the plucking. Also each time she went, she needed less work done. At some point she imagined she could just watch. She hadn't decided what she would do about her pubic hair once she got free of Jason's. So far he hadn't found anything completely permanent to do about pubic hair. (She'd learned that hers wasn't the only hysterectomy among the girls, apparently like most men, Jason hated blood.) Letting her pubic hair grow out once she was free would be a symbolic act of defiance, she'd want to have that damn plastic tube removed too, but she'd grown fond of seeing her vulva and she wanted to encourage any future lovers to chow down.

... She didn't question that one day she would get free. She no longer called Aaron every day, not much for either of them to say, but they kept in touch. He was so tan and she thought he might be going soft on his masseuse, and why not?

... There were trails through the over growth of the outer garden. Tae Kwan Doe had required more equipment, mats and space to practice. All the fighting equipment, except the ring, had been moved outside. There was a locker to keep things out of the elements and a roof against rain. Ami had a sense that most of this accommodation was for Persephone, not her, and not both of them. Ami still hadn't conquered her challenge and taken Persephone for glasses. She hadn't forgotten about it, she still just needed to find the missing part to make it work. She still managed to act the "part" of a good little harem girl, though she felt she was becoming schizophrenic.

... She seemed to have been accepted as a full member of the "family" (hadn't Charles Manson called his group the "family?"). She took her turns with Chucky and Jason was very pleased with her oral skills. She found pleasure in his physical abilities and those of others. (Would she miss the girl/girl encounters? She feared she would.)

... She managed to keep her self surprisingly occupied. She'd completed her premed studies and had progressed to first year med school, too bad no one would accept her work as valid (but she'd have a great transcript once she made it to med-school). Several of the girls (They were "girls" weren't they? None of them were functional as women in a biological sense.) were playing volleyball in the big pool when the next thing happened.

... At first they thought some one had scratched themselves against the side or the bottom. There was just a little blood in the water but no one seemed hurt. It was after they got out that the screaming started. Ami looked around and found Brittanie striking her bleeding vulva with her fists. Apparently it was her first period. All the girls rushed to Brittanie and tried to assure her everything was all right. Gina slapped her on both cheeks and then kissed her, the traditional Italian welcome to womanhood.

... But Brittanie was having none of it. She didn't even acknowledge their presence. Finally Frank came, he pinned her arms and carried her to her room. Gina as den mother, followed. Ami supposed they gave her a tranquilizer or sedative as the screaming stopped. Of course the main topic of conversation for the foreseeable future was going to be, what the hell was wrong with The Kid? Ami expected to be consulted eventually unless Jason had a trusted doctor on call. (Who'd have to fuck the doctor to compensate him for the house call? At least he'd be clean.)

... Ami felt she should have expected this. She'd joined into the volleyball game because Brittanie still seamed tightly wound. Brittanie never played with the others, neither did Ami, and Ami hoped by her example of joining in she might be able to get Brittanie to relax and join in too. It'd worked, sort of.

... Ami should have realized that hair growth was a sign of on coming puberty. It was just that Brittanie was at least fifteen, maybe sixteen, and Ami didn't associate her with puberty. From what she'd heard and been able to gather, Brittanie had been abused, including sexual abuse, by her father. At around eleven she'd run away to the streets of the city. On the streets she'd been raped and abused by pimps, Johns and everybody else until Jason found her starving to death. When she'd come to the house two, no, three years ago she'd been skin and bones.

... Some of the girls couldn't believe Jason had taken in a charity case. She'd gained weight and her hair grew out. She'd turned out to be quite attractive and willing to do anything Jason had in mind, Ami had witnessed that aspect herself. While she'd thrown on some weight and seemed other wise healthy, she had remained prepubescent. This often happened in cases of prolonged starvation. The growth was stunted and sometimes the girls didn't mature for years, in rare cases they never did.

... They'd all assumed and apparently Brittanie had depended on, that she was one of those rare cases. It was possible that her menstration would stop at any moment and so would her maturation, but it was unlikely. Bizarre hormone treatments were a possibility as was Jason's favorite, a hysterectomy, but it would have to be a complete one, which would necessitate more hormone treatments and preventing her maturation would lead to other health questions.

... Ami's call finally came. She found Frank standing guard by Brittanie's bed. This didn't surprise her. Finding Persephone sitting by Brittanie's bed did surprise her. Who knew that Persephone had a maternal instinct? Gina was still there as was Jason. Brittanie was lying dead still on the bed, eyes staring at the ceiling, breathing regular and shallow, just to let them know she was still there.